The Official 101st Tour de France, thread.

[m20gull]

I'm not sure whether to feel sorry for Peter Sagan or not after today. He's had the Green jersey competition sewn up since stage 3, and yet can't catch a break with a stage win. However, he knows people won't work to take him to the finish only for him to take the sprint, so why not go with Gallopin when he kicked again? If others go with him it becomes 1 from 4 again, which he should win. By not going he banks on the peloton catching everyone and then winning a bigger sprint with quicker riders. I don't get it. To win a race you have to be prepared to lose it, and he didn't seem like he wanted to risk losing in a sprint against 'slower' riders.

His team won't take him to a sprint finish and the other sprint teams must be fed up with him following their train. He is just going to have to go for it if a stage win means that much. Maybe he should settle for 'only' winning the green jersey by a country mile.

 

[Stat Brother]

Phil L made me laugh, with words to the effect of:-

'Simon Clarke in front, his team mates call him Clarkey.
That's the Australians, leading the way in wit and nicknames'.



Sagan is never going to win a flat stage, or a mountainous one.
The problem he's got is he's never going to win an undulating finish because he's too good.

I can't see that he's doing anything wrong.
He's tried a few different ways to win, including yesterday's 'fine, we'll all lose together', approach.

I'm not buying Boardman's idea of 'just hide', I don't see how that's possible.
To me he's got to just 'balls out' from over a km out, at the end of a hard stage, when there aren't trains to form.
A la Gallopan yesterday.

A damn sight easier said than done.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Phil L made me laugh, with words to the effect of:-

'Simon Clarke in front, his team mates call him Clarkey.
That's the Australians, leading the way in wit and nicknames'.



Sagan is never going to win a flat stage, or a mountainous one.
The problem he's got is he's never going to win an undulating finish because he's too good.

I can't see that he's doing anything wrong.
He's tried a few different ways to win, including yesterday's 'fine, we'll all lose together', approach.

I'm not buying Boardman's idea of 'just hide', I don't see how that's possible.
To me he's got to just 'balls out' from over a km out, at the end of a hard stage, when there aren't trains to form.
A la Gallopan yesterday.

A damn sight easier said than done.

Uphill sprint maybe?

 

[Stat Brother]

Uphill sprint maybe?

Yeah definitely a tough one.

They'll always be someone faster than him in the bunch on a flat sprint.
What must be so annoying is the fact it's only 1 or 2 riders.
He's so close but just isn't a sprinter.

 

[Indurain's Lungs]

Yeah definitely a tough one.

They'll always be someone faster than him in the bunch on a flat sprint.
What must be so annoying is the fact it's only 1 or 2 riders.
He's so close but just isn't a sprinter.

Maybe now he's got the green jersey sown up he'll take a few more risks. Not that there are any particular stages left to target now.

 

[Motogull]

I love him, but he should be nicknamed 'the bridesmaid'.

 

[teaboy]

He's lucky 'the eternal second' is taken.

 

[Stat Brother]

July 18, Stage 13: Saint-Étienne - Chamrousse 197.5km

Distance: 197.5km

Category: High mountains

Highest point: 1,730m

 

[strings]

That summit finish looks immense!

Tips for today? Is today Porte's best chance to take some time from Nibali?

 

[teaboy]

It's a GC day, certainly. Valverde might fancy a crack, but Rodriguez is more likely to be given the space. I doubt Porte has the team or the final kick to get over the line first, especially with Astana watching...

 

[strings]

It's a GC day, certainly. Valverde might fancy a crack, but Rodriguez is more likely to be given the space. I doubt Porte has the team or the final kick to get over the line first, especially with Astana watching...

It certainly seems that Nibali is trying to keep the lead at enough of a margin that it cannot be overhauled in the time trial.

 

[keaton]

It certainly seems that Nibali is trying to keep the lead at enough of a margin that it cannot be overhauled in the time trial.

But I don't think Porte is a better TT than Nibali. If only Sky had a rider who was TT specialist they might win this tour.

 

[strings]

But I don't think Porte is a better TT than Nibali. If only Sky had a rider who was TT specialist they might win this tour.

Like a national time trial champion? An Olympic Gold-medal time-trialler? Someone who came second in last year's time trial worlds? Don't be silly, those kind of riders don't just grow on trees.

In all seriousness, I understand (and sort of agree with) the reasons for leaving Wiggins out. Sky's problem now seems to be can Wiggins and Froome ride together at the Vuelta. Some press reports claim that Wiggins was promised a crack at the Vuelta a España when he didn't make the Tour squad, whilst Froome (judging from his tweet the other day, seems to also have it on his radar).

 

[1066familyman]

Rudy's in the break

 

[Hamilton]

Oh, it's Nibali's race. Can't see him losing it, can anyone? Surely he's showing it is his year?

 

[1234andcounting]

Oh, it's Nibali's race. Can't see him losing it, can anyone? Surely he's showing it is his year?

He looks good and seems he is not over-reliant on his team in the mountain stages. Not sure any of the other GC contenders have teams strong enough to launch concerted attacks on him either.

 

[Hamilton]

He looks good and seems he is not over-reliant on his team in the mountain stages. Not sure any of the other GC contenders have teams strong enough to launch concerted attacks on him either.

He doesn't look in trouble at all does he. If anything, he looked like he was on his Sunday social ride as he left Valverde and headed off to the finish line.

 

[Bold Seagull]

He looks good and seems he is not over-reliant on his team in the mountain stages. Not sure any of the other GC contenders have teams strong enough to launch concerted attacks on him either.

Not sure that is true. His team have been doing a great job taking him further into stages than any other team are managing. They buried themselves for him today.

 

[Horton's halftime iceberg]

As you say, Nibs just needs to stay upright and out of trouble although his team mate showed how that can be difficult.

I am liking the French charge for the podium, I really don't like Valverde, its such a shame for the sport that such an open doper gets to ride, next year their TL should be Nairo Quintana who I would much rather watch.

Poor ol Porte, shows the difference between a super domestique and a team leader.

Great stage to watch

 

[Bold Seagull]

As you say, Nibs just needs to stay upright and out of trouble although his team mate showed how that can be difficult.

I am liking the French charge for the podium, I really don't like Valverde, its such a shame for the sport that such an open doper gets to ride, next year their TL should be Nairo Quintana who I would much rather watch.

Poor ol Porte, shows the difference between a super domestique and a team leader.

Great stage to watch

G and Porte cracked pretty spectacularly. In fact G cracked a long time before, but Porte ended so far back, G caught him up again. Bad day at the office for Sky, but tough tough stage if you were a couple of riders down.